Lamb ragu with red wine and herbs

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.7kg Lamb Shoulder, bone in
• Salt and pepper
• 100g bacon, coarsely chopped
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup (185mls) red wine
• 2 x 400g cans Tomatoes
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs oregano
• Cooked fettuccine, to serve
• Flat-leaf parsley leaves, extra, to serve 

 Method:

1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Cook lamb for 4-5 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Reduce heat to low. Add bacon, onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables start to caramelise. Add the wine. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Place lamb in a 5-litre capacity slow cooker. Add the bacon mixture, tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Tie the herbs together with kitchen string and add to slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or until the lamb is tender and falls off the bone.
3. Remove the lamb from the slow cooker and use 2 forks to shred the meat. Discard the bone. Return lamb to the pot and stir to combine. Divide fettuccine and ragu among serving bowls. Sprinkle with parsley leaves to serve.

Kaffer Lime Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Base:

•     2½ cups almond meal
•     125g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
•     3 Tbsps brown sugar 
•     1 Tspn cinnamon

Filling:

•     1 1/2 tablespoons boiling water
•     3 teaspoons gelatine powder
•     500g cream cheese, softened
•     1/2 cup caster sugar
•     300ml thickened cream, whipped
•     60ml kaffir lime juice

 Topping:

• 1 X pack Aeroplane create a jelly
• 200 ml lime juice

Method:

Base:

1. Preheat oven to 180C for convection oven or 160C for fan force oven. Line the bottom of a 20cm spring form pan with baking paper and grease the side of the pan with melted butter. 
2. Set aside.
3. Add almond meal, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
4. Press the almond meal crumbs over base and the side of the prepared pan.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. 
6. Set aside to cool.

Filling:

1. Place boiling water in a small bowl and sprinkle over gelatine. Stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly. 
2. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Beat gelatine mixture into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped cream until combined. Add kaffir lime juice..
3. Spoon mixture over biscuit base. Smooth surface. 
4. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until just set.

Topping:

1. Use pack of Aeroplane "create a Jelly" mix to make kaffir lime jelly with the lime juice and a teaspoon of grated kaffir lime zest.
2. Top cheesecake with cooled jelly and grated allow to chill for another hour.

Candied limes

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp grated frozen kaffir lime
• 2 limes
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 kaffir lime leaves

Method:

Place the sugar, water and kaffir lime leaves in a medium saucepan, and bring to the boil. Stir intermittently, and continue until the sugar has completely dissolved, and you have a viscous sugar syrup. Add the slices of lime, and set the timer for 12 minutes.

Once the timer is done, check that the limes have tender peel but have not disintegrated. Continue cooking for up to an additional 5 minutes, if you think it is necessary.

Shake the excess sugar syrup off the limes, and lay them on a drying rack or baking paper. Allow them to dry for a minimum of an hour, overnight if possible. You can also dry them in the fridge, if you need to speed the process up.